Base-plate.



v H. E. SHELDON. I

BASE PLATE.

APPLICATION FILED on. 22, 1914.-

1,170,351 v Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

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HARRY E. SHELDON, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM D. FORSYTH, 0F YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

BASE-PLATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

Application filed October 22, 1914. Serial No. 867,994.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY E. SHELDON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Base-Plates, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to bases for supporting railway rails and its object is to provide a support therefor which will prevent the rails from spreading or creeping; which will largely prevent the rails from breaking. and will hold them in place even though they break or crack; which will efliciently support the rails between the ties and resist all stresses on the rails; which permits the use of very light rails and reduces the number of ties required; and which may be used with wooden, steel or other ties.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan showing portions of two base-plates and of the ties to which they are connected; Fig. 2,'a perspective view of a portion of a base-plate shown on Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a cross-section on the line III-J11,

Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a cross-section on the line 1VIV, Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a perspective of a base-plate adapted to metallic ties.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 4, 1 designates steel base-plates resting on the ties 2, the base-plates having the holes 3 through which suitable fastenings may be driven into the The upper faces of the base-plates 1 are provided with the parallel ribs 4 between which the railway rail 5 (Fig. is seated with the edges of its flanges in engagement with the ribs to prevent any lateral movements of the rail. The rails may be secured to thebase-plates by the usual spikes 6 or their equivalent, 7 representing the holes therefor in the bases 1.

The rail base-plates are substantially flat where they rest on the ties but they each have at least one longitudinal rib 8 extending downwardly to a considerable depth between the ties as shown on Figs. 3 and 4. Where the ties are, the rib 8 is cut away so as to extend but a short distance into the tie 2 (Fig. 4). This rib prevents the base from moving laterally on the tie and stiffens the base-plate materially.

The sides of each base-plate are contracted between the ties by turning the opposing edges thereof downwardly and toward each other to form the vertical flanges 9 which give additional stiffness to the base-plate.

The abutting ends of the base-plates may be interlocked by providing each with a lat-- eral hook 10 to engage with a notch 11 in the other (Fig. 1).

In constructing'a base-plate, a rectangular strip of steel may be rolled with the ribs 4 and 8 thereon. Then the flanges 9 may be turned and portions of the rib 8 removed to accommodate the ties. I do not, however, limit myself to any definite procedure.

In Fig. 5, I have shown a base-plate 1 having the portion over the tie provided with downwardly turned flanges 12, the base plate being otherwise substantially as in Figs. 1 to 4 except that the rib 8 is not employed, but its omission is optional between the ties. I have shown the steel tie 13 to which the chair 14 is riveted. The flanges 12 overlap the sides of the chair 14 and the chair is insulated from the seat by the insulating material 15, which may be fiber.

'1 claim 1. In a rail-way, cross-ties, chairs secured thereto and having opposing side-faces eX- tending lengthwise of the rail-way, continuous steel base-plates supported by the chairs and supporting the rails along their entire length and provided with longitudinal down-turned flanges overlapping the said opposing faces of the chairs, whereby the rails are prevented from spreading.

2. In a rail-way,.continuous steel baseplates supporting the rails, chairs for supporting the base-plates, and means integral with the base-plates and cooperating with the chairs to prevent the base-plates from spreading.

Signed at Pittsburgh, Pa., this 20th day of October, 1914.

HARRY E. SHELDON.

Witnesses:

ALICE E. Donn, F. N. BARBER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

